Hoshino's Dad POV
It was currently Friday, sometime around nine o'clock. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in a dark blue hue.
Right now, I was sitting in the driver's seat—alone. The low hum of the engine idled in the background as I mindlessly scrolled through videos.
My gaze flicked to the rear-view mirror every couple of seconds. Seeing that it was empty, I'd turn my attention back to the videos.
I repeated this process countless times until eventually, I spotted a dark figure in the distance. I squinted my eyes, focusing on the figure until it emerged from the darkness. It was my Wife, her hands full of grocery bags.
Without wasting a single second, I threw open the door and hurried over to her.
Even with me approaching right in front of her, her pace didn't change in the slightest. She just kept walking toward the car on her own, as if nothing had changed.
Seeing her act this way always sent a slight pang through my heart, but I never said anything.
Instead, I reached out my hand and took exactly half of the groceries, leaving the other half to her.
Just like usual, we headed for the car without exchanging a single word.
I watched as kids ran past us, laughing and giggling. I watched couples—both married and teenagers—drift by while clinging to each other affectionately.
It was a beautiful sight—but she and I continued moving forward with the same number of bags in each hand.
With a heavy sigh, I looked up at the sky. We usually did our grocery shopping in a small part of the city. Not many people lived out here—just a little community built around the shopping area. So from here, I could clearly see the countless white stars glimmering above.
I didn't know the science behind stars—or much of anything, really. To be honest, due to how I grew up, my education was a bit lacking. I'd even say my kids know more academically than I do by now.
Still, despite my lack of knowledge, I could say this much with absolute certainty.
How beautiful…
Maybe not as beautiful as my kids or Wife—but still beautiful nonetheless.
Sadly, my little stargazing trip came to an end as we reached the car.
I brought my attention back down to earth and dug a hand into my pocket until I found the keys. I unlocked the car, opened the trunk, and set my bags down.
Just as I was about to turn around and help my Wife with her bags, she was already loading them in on her own. I tried to find an angle to swoop in and help with at least one, but her movements were so graceful—so precise—that I couldn't find an opening.
Before I even knew it, my Wife had finished setting all her bags down. Then, without saying another word, she just left for the passenger seat.
Once she was gone, I let out a slightly disappointed breath.
Looks like today is the same…
But I couldn't stay dejected forever. Not anymore. Furthermore, I couldn't keep her waiting too long, since we still had other stores to get to.
So, with a bright, childish smile on my face, I made my way to the driver's seat. After starting the car, I drove to the next store.
We repeated the same process at each one until the grocery shopping was done.
By the time we finished, it was already 10 p.m.
The roads were completely pitch-black, lit only by my headlights and the storefronts along the street.
Just as I was about to drive home, my Wife suddenly broke the silence.
"Hey. We need to talk."
Her tone lacked the usual angelic softness she carried at home. In fact, it was more… detached. Almost monotone. It didn't come as a surprise to me. I was already used to this side of her. I saw it every Friday whenever we actually talked.
"What is it?" I asked, shifting into gear and pulling off.
"It's about our Son."
From that alone, I could already guess where this was going. Maybe it was about him going out every day. Maybe she was still hung up on him hanging out in the alleyway. There were only a few options it could be.
Still, just to be safe, I asked, "What about him?" I made sure there was no malice or skepticism in my voice. Just plain curiosity.
My Wife didn't answer. Instead, she rummaged through her bag and pulled something out. I couldn't tell what it was in the dark, not while I was driving. But from what I could make out in the corner of my eye, it looked like some sort of black box.
She moved her fingers and pressed down. The moment she did, a soft click sounded through the car, and with it—a voice.
It didn't take me long to figure out who it was. I'd recognize that cold, flat tone from anywhere.
It was my Son.
My Son's voice... was playing from the box. And because of that, it didn't take me long to figure out what it was she was holding.
It's… a voice recorder.
And with that realization came others. Ones far darker—and grimmer—than I'd have hoped to imagine.
Why.... does she have that?
Does this mean… she was spying on him? Without him knowing?
What could she have wanted so badly that she'd do all this?
The questions just kept piling one after the other, but one stood out above the rest: Just how far is she willing to go to get what she wants?
I opened my mouth to say something—but nothing came out except a deflated wheeze.
Who was I to judge her? I'd done things infinitely worse than she had. And more than that—would she even listen to what I had to say? Probably not. I knew my Wife enough to know that. Even if I called it wrong, she wouldn't care about my opinion—or any that wasn't hers. That was just who she was.
So I decided to stay quiet. At least… that was until I heard a second voice from the recorder. One more feminine, more cheery, and most of all—familiar. Too familiar. Like I'd heard that voice before. In fact, I was positive I had.
...But where?
If I had to guess, I'd assume I ran into her at work. The problem was that I dealt with tens, if not hundreds, of customers a day. It was difficult to pin the voice to a specific face.
The mystery of who she was nagged at me. Still, there was one—bigger—problem weighing on my mind.
"Why… are you showing me this?" I asked.
My Wife's grip on the voice recorder tightened, a small crack echoing through the car.
"Why, you ask? Well, it's simple if you think about it. This is the person that's corrupting my—no, our—Son."
Corrupting? What does she mean by that?
Does she mean that this is the person he's been hanging out with recently?
As a Dad, I couldn't help but be concerned. Objectively speaking, going out every day and staying out late in a run-down alleyway was suspicious. That was no debate.
And as much as it worried me, as much as I'd rather he didn't do those things—at the same time, he was almost an adult. And more than that, if I knew one thing about him, it was that he could take care of himself. Even if he did make some mistakes, that too was part of growing up. He'd learn.
As his Dad, all I could do was help him when he needed it. That was all.
So—instead of asking who it was, I said something else. I had to say something else. Because as his Dad… I simply could not let this go.
"...Don't you think you're going too far? I don't know how you got this, but I know you've crossed a line. You can't just go spying on our kid."
I tightened my grip around the steering wheel, my heart pounding.
I did it. I stood up for him—again. There was no going back now.
Except this time… I will stand my ground.
My Wife remained silent, but I could feel it. The subtle shift in the air as she glared at the side of my face, one that grew heavier by the moment.
Then—she snapped. "Oh, don't give me that. That's what you're worried about? Not that our Son is making bad decisions—just for some girl? You know how dangerous these types of relationships can be, Su!"
I couldn't help but flinch hearing her change in tone. I'd heard her angry many times before, but never like this. This was something completely different—but I didn't have the time to think about that as a loud *BANG* rang out through the car.
She slammed the voice recorder against the dashboard, the voices dissolving into static, making it difficult to make out what they were saying.
But my Wife's voice rang clear.
"Su! This girl is ruining our Son! As his parents, it's our job to help him!"
I opened my mouth, ready to refute her. "But–"
But my Wife cut me off with a simple click of her tongue. "For once in your life, can't you just be a good Dad and help him?!"
Still, I pressed on, continuing to charge forward. This much wasn't going to stop me anymore.
"But this isn't right–"
However, my Wife didn't stop, either.
"All I'm asking is that you do something different, instead of solving your problems by beating your damn kids for once, Su!"